Politics · Germany · 2 hrs ago
Klingbeil and Söder reaffirm support for Germany’s planned pension reform
Germany’s governing coalition has agreed on a pension reform, but some details remain unresolved.
After Labour Minister Bärbel Bas resigned, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil and CSU leader Markus Söder both said the reform should go ahead.
Klingbeil said the coalition was following its agreed schedule and had planned to wait until after three state elections before presenting bills.
Outstanding questions include pension eligibility after 45 years of contributions and rules for part-time work before retirement.
Söder said decisions were urgent and the new labour minister, Alexander Schweitzer, should keep the coalition’s agreements.
He also called for changes to the “pension at 63,” while allowing possible exceptions and transition rules.
Bas said she needed time to grieve the death of her stepdaughter and had also faced criticism from coalition partners.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil and CSU leader Markus Söder reaffirmed support for Germany’s planned pension reform after Labour Minister Bärbel Bas resigned.
Klingbeil said the government was following its agreed timetable and that the SPD was not delaying the reform.
He pointed to unresolved questions, including retirement without deductions after 45 years of contributions and changes to mini-jobs.
Söder said decisions were urgent and the agreements reached in the coalition should not be reopened by the incoming labour minister.
Bas said she was stepping down because she needed time to process the death of her stepdaughter.
- Who
- SPD leader Lars Klingbeil and CSU leader Markus Söder.
- What
- They reaffirmed support for the planned pension reform, while differing on the urgency and handling of unresolved details.
- When
- October 12, 2026.
- Where
- In interviews with ARD.
- Why
- Bas’s resignation put the coalition’s planned reform under pressure, and the coalition still has open questions to resolve.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil
CSU leader Markus Söder
Timing
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil
Klingbeil said the coalition was following its agreed timetable and had planned to wait until after three state elections before presenting legislation.
CSU leader Markus Söder
Söder said decisions were urgent and the government should not wait until the SPD’s party conference at year’s end.
Reform details
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil
Klingbeil said questions remained, including retirement without deductions after 45 contribution years, mini-jobs and phased part-time retirement.
CSU leader Markus Söder
Söder said the coalition’s agreements should be retained, while allowing possible exceptions and transitional arrangements for hardship cases.
Klingbeil and Söder were photographed at the Federal Chancellery, according to the article caption.
The coalition committee agreed on proposals concerning working-time flexibility and pensions.
Klingbeil and Söder publicly reaffirmed support for the planned pension reform after Bas’s resignation.
- SPD leader
- Lars Klingbeil
- CSU leader
- Markus Söder
- Former labour minister
- Bärbel Bas
- Retirement without deductions
- 45 years of contributions
- State elections named
- Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
What people are saying
We had a good debate last week in the coalition committee that we would now clarify these things and jointly get the pension under way. This is coming; there is no wavering on that. But we were on schedule.
We must make decisions.
But a general return to square one would be the wrong signal and the wrong way.
Sources
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